Fixture for locating indicia elements on an aligning strip



Dec. 4, 1962 G. LOEWE FIXTURE FOR LOCATING INDICIA ELEMENTS ON AN ALIGNING STRIP Filed June 1, 1961 FIGI INVENTOR. GARRICK LOEWE.

ATTORNEY.

FIG-4 United States fihbfl d Patented Dec. 4, 1962 3,966,724 FIXTURE FUR LQQATENG lNDiCiA. ELEMENTS (EN AN ALIGNING STRIP Garrick Loewe, Utica, Mich, assiguor to Kux Products Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed June 1, 1961, Ser. No. 125,309 4 Claims. (1. 156-562) The present invention relates to a fixture for locating an indicia element on an aligning strip; and more particularly for a fixture by which a series of letters to be used for a sign, or the like, temporarily mounted upon a supporting strip so as to be in proper longitudinal alignment and properly spaced apart and wherein by using the aligning strip, the sign or series of letters may be directly applied to a supporting surface, such as a window or the like.

There is presently available on the market various types of lettering signs wherein a series of independent letters of a suitable material are provided and which have upon their rear surfaces some form of adhesive by which the letters may be applied to and secured to a window 01' other medium for the purpose of spelling out a sign.

The primary difliculty in separately mounting the individual letters is that it is difficult to achieve a proper spacing and alignment of the respective letters. Accordingly the primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel fixture which will supportably mount in stacks the group of letters to be made up into a plurality of signs or unit words, and with the mechanism of the fixture employed aligning and spacing the letters properly and temporarily mounting the same upon an aligning strip.

Normally when this is done, a protective sheet is mounted over the back surface of the letters as mounted on the aligning strip, and is only removed when it is time to apply the letters to a window, or wall. At that time the aligning strip is then properly positioned where desired and the letters are directly applied to the window through the medium of the aligning strip so that the letters end up in properly aligned spaced relation.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the present fixture for locating indicia elements upon an aligning strip.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale and illustrating the top plate in pressure applied position.

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the top plate in release position with the moving force removed.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the aligning strip with the letters or indicia elements mounted thereon.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawing, the present fixture for locating an indicia element on an aligning strip includes a base generally indicated at 11 including the bottom wall 12, upright end walls 13, opposed parallel spaced front and rear walls 14, and a cover plate 15, employing a series of fasteners 16 for assembling the base into a unit member, and defining the chamber 17 therein.

An elongated resilient pad 18 of foam rubber, or the like, is nested within the base 11, supported upon bottom wall 12, and spaced from the cover plate 15, as best shown in FIG. 3.

A plurality of groups 19, 2t}, 2t and 22 of variably 2 spaced upright pins 23 are positioned within chamber 17 of said base with their enlarged heads 24 yieldingly supported upon the top surface of the resilient pad 18, and loosely extending upwardly through corresponding upright apertures formed through the cover plate 15 and projecting thereabove.

The upper end portions of the pins 23, as they project above the cover plate 15 thus define a series of storage chambers 25 above the said cover plate adapted to receive and be partly filled by stacks of indicia elements 26, being the individual letters such as the letters shown in the drawing.

The letters contemplated consist of a thin strip of material of paper or the like, or plastic material, which are cut into the form of the letters indicated as at 26, are attractively colored on their top surfaces and on their unde surfaces have a tacky non-drying pressure sensitive adhesive layer 43, shown in FIG. 5. The adhesive layer may consist in combination, of natural or synthetic rubber, natural or synthetic gums or resins to thus provide a tacky pressure sensitive adhesive surface, as indicated at 4 One example of such an adhesive is a mixture of synthetic resin material known in the trade as Staybelite Ester 10, with a soft uncured synthetic or natural rubber.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, bottom wall 12, forming a part of the base 11, extends rearwardly of the rear wall 1'4, as at 2'7, and there is mounted thereon throughout its length the upright rail 28 fixedly secured thereto as at 29. Said rail having formed down into its top surface a series of longitudinally spaced bores 30, FIGS. 1 and 4, is spaced as at 31 from rear wall 14. This provides a clearance slot for the depending flange 34 which forms a part of the parallel spaced upright blocks 32, whose cutaway undersurfaces 33 supportably bear upon the top surface of the rail 28.

Each of the blocks adjacent the undercut surface 33 thereof and arranged centrally of the block has an upright securing pin 35 anchored at its upper end Within the block at 36, which pins 35 are a dapted to respectively nest within selected bores 30 formed into the top surface of rail 28 to thus provide a means of anchoring the said blocks adjustably upon said rail, as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

Each of the blocks 32 have formed from their upper edges the upright elongated upwardly opening slots 37, which provide the means for pivotally and adjustably mounting the top plate 38, which is normally arrange parallel to and spaced above cover plate 15.

in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the top plate 33 includes on its opposite sides and adjacent the rear portions thereof, an aligned pair of extending pins 39, headed at as, which loosely and cooperatively nest within the corresponding slots 37 in the blocks 32.. Accordingly, guide means is provided for mounting the top plate 38 upon the base 11, above and parallel to the cover plate 15 by which the said plate 38 may be moved towards the said plate 15, or away therefrom in substantial parallel relation thereto, and by which also the said top plate may be pivoted to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3 for illustration.

In the normal operation of the device, a series of vari ably spaced apertures are formed through the cover plate 15, so as to loosely and slidably receive the vertically movable pins 23, and with the arrangement of the apertures in the respective groups formed in the cover plate 15, being defined by the shape of the particular letter or indicia element as it is hereafter called, and as best shown in FIG. 1.

The upright pins 23 are thus arranged to thus cooperatively receive and retain a stack of indicia elements 26,

.may be some repetition as desired.

Operation In the operation of the present device, there is provided an elongated rectangular aligning strip 41, normally of a flexible thin paper and which has adhesive undersurface as at 42, FIG. 5, possibly of a type similar to that above described with respect to the adhesive surface 43 for the lettering or indicia elements 26. It is contemplated, however, that any other type of gummed surface :2 may be employed, which preferably is less adhesive in degree than the gummed surfaces 53 on the undersurface of the letters, for a reason which will appear hereunder.

The formation of the groups of apertures through the cover plate 15 defining the various storage chambers for .the stacks of indicia elements 26, is such that the stacks of letters are in proper alignment longitudinally and are properly spaced with respect to each other, as would be desired in the final sign.

As an initial step in the operation, and with the top plate in an open position, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the aligning strip 41 is positioned over the upper free ends of the pins 23 with its gummed surface 42 facing downwardly, so arranged as to be in alignment and properly spaced over the respective groups or stacks of indicia elements.

As a second step, the top plate 3% is pivoted so as to be in parallel spaced relation with the cover plate 15 of the housing, as best illustrated in FIG. 2.

As a third step, the top plate 233 has applied thereto a manual force in such manner as to maintain the plate substantially parallel to the cover plate 15, and under this manual pressure, the top plate 38 is moved downwardly, being guided at all times by the guide pins 39-ltl to assume the position shown in FIG. 3. It is noted in this connection that the downward movement under manual pressure of the top plate 38 has caused a depression of all of the respective pins 23, as indicated by the arrow 44, FIG. 3, and wherein it is noted that the respective heads 24 of the said pins have been moved down into the resilient pad 18, as at points 45. v

Inasmuch as resilient pad 18 is of a yielding character, the pad itself is not fractured, but is merely deformed as at 45 during the step indicated in FIG. 3.

As the top plate is moved toward the cover plate, depresing the said pins 23, the gummed face 42 of the aligning strip 41 will contact the uppermost indicia element 26 in each of the corresponding stacks or groups 19, 2G, 21 and Z2, and due to the gummed surface 4-2 on the aligning strip, will retainingly engage the said uppermost indicia element 26. Accordingly, when manual pressure is released from the top plate 33, as indicated by the arrow 46, FIG. 4, the top indicia element in each of the respective groups will move upwardly with the aligning strip, as shown in FIG. 4.

Thereafter, as a final step, the top plate 33 is pivoted to an open position, as indicated in dotted lines, FIG. 3, employing the guide slots 37, forming a part of the blocks 32, which permits the manual removal of the aligning strip 41 with the indicial elements 2.6 adhesively mounted upon its undersurface, as shown in 5.

This completes the operation of the present fixture for locating the indicia elements on the aligning strip. Normally, as a further step, in the preparation of the strip for shipment or delivery, a protective strip of paper, or the like is mounted over adhesive surfaces 43 of the letters, and is co-extensive with the undersurface 42 of the aligning strip.

In use, when it is desired to mount the sign upon a window or other support, the protective strip is first re moved after which the aligning strip is brought into registry with the window or other surface in such mannor that the individual indicia elements or letters 26 are adhesively applied to the said glass surface and wherein the adhesive undersurfaces d3 of the said indicia elements are effective to retain the letters or indicia elements upon the glass or other surface.

Accordingly, it is seen now, that it is advisable that the adhesive surface 43 have a greater retentive character, so that the letters will stick to the window or other supporting surface, as the aligning strip 41 is peeled off the letters.

The advantage of the present aligning fixture is that the letters are mounted in correct alignment and spacing upon the aligning strip to facilitate and expedite the mounting of the letters upon the surface to which they are to be finally used. Under certain conditions, the sign may consist of a large number of letters rather than the few shown for illustration in the FIG. 1. For this purpose, it is contemplated that there may be any number of groups of apertures formed through the cover plate 15 of the base 11 with. associated pins 23 which may mean also a larger top plate 33 will be employed. For this purpose, it is seen that the supporting blocks 32 are longitudinally adjustable upon the rail 28 for the reception of a longer top plate, as needed.

'In this connection, also, it is noted, that the said top plate 38 is guided between the blocks 32 against endwise movement and is pivotally and otherwise guidably mounted upon the said blocks by virtue of the support pins 39-48, which are movably positioned within the upright, upwardly opening slots 37 in the said blocks.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. A fixture for locating an indicia element on an aligning strip comprising;

a hollow base including a cover plate;

a resilient pad nested within said base;

a plurality of spaced upright headed pins in said base with their heads yieldingly supported upon said pad and loosely extending through and projecting above said cover plate defining a storage chamber thereabove adapted to receive and partly be filled by a stack of similar indicia elements;

a top plate parallel to and spaced above said cover plate;

and means guidably mounting said top plate upon the base for manual movement towards said cover plate, whereby when a gummed aligning strip is positioned between the projecting ends of said pins and said top plate with its gummed surface facing said stack of indicia elements, and said top plate is moved towards said cover plate depressing said pins, the gummed face of the aligning strip will contact the uppermost indicia element in the stack and raise it from the stack upon release of the moving force.

2. In the fixture for locating an indicia element on an aligning strip set forth in claim 1, the means guidably mounting the top plate consisting of a pair of longitudinal- 1y spaced upright blocks mounted upon said base and extending above said pins; and opposed mounting pins projecting from rear end portions of said top plate guidably mounted upon said blocks for vertical and pivotal movement thereon.

3. In the fixture for locating an indicia element on an aligning strip as set forth in claim 1, the means guidably mounting the top plate consisting of an elongated upright rail on said base, there being a series of upright longitudinally spaced bores in said rail;

a pair of spaced blocks adjustably mounted upon said rail;

means depending from said blocks selectively nested in said bores;

Ms J 3,066,724 5 n and opposed mounting pins projecting from rear end and means guidably mounting sald top plate upon the Portions of Said p Plate guidably mounted 1113011 base for manual movement towards said cover plate; said blocks for vertical 1' nd pivotal movements therewhereby when a gurnmed aligning strip is positioned beon tween the pro ecting ends of said pins and said top fixture 9r locatmg mdlclaeleme-mts on an ahgn: 5 plate with its gummed surface facing said stacks of mg strip COIIIPIlSlHg a hollow base lncluding a cover plate,

a resilient pad nested within Said base; 1nd1c1a elements, and said top plate is moved toward a plurality of variably grouped, variably spaced upsaid cover plate depressing said pins, the gummed right headed pins in said base with their heads yieldingly supported upon said pad and loosely extending 10 through and projecting above said cover plate definface of the aligning strip will contact the uppermost indicia element in each stack and raise it from the stack upon release of the moving force. mg a series of variably shaped chambers thereabove adapted to each respectively receive and partly be L filled by a stack of similar indicia elements, some of References Cited in the file of this patent which stacks having different indicia elements; 15 A a top plate parallel to and spaced above said cover UNITED STATES PATENTS plate; 1,946,878 Pazziani et al. Feb. 13, 1934 

